Learn Hardcore French: Notre conversation est intime.

Conversation is a feminine noun: la conversation, une conversation.
You can see this in other forms: cette conversation, ma conversation, etc., which are all feminine forms.

Unfortunately, there is no general rule that tells you conversation is feminine; it’s mostly a matter of vocabulary memorization.

Does intime here mean “sexual” or “romantic”?

Not necessarily. Intime first means private, personal, confidential, close.

Notre conversation est intime usually means:

We are talking about personal things.
The conversation is private and not meant for others.
There is a level of emotional closeness or trust.

It can have a romantic or sexual undertone depending on context, tone, and situation, but by itself it simply means the conversation is personal or private, not automatically sexual.

Why is the adjective intime placed after est and not directly after conversation?

In this sentence, intime is a predicate adjective: it comes after the verb être (to be) and describes the subject.

Structure:

Notre conversation (subject)
est (verb “to be”)
intime (adjective describing the subject)

This is the same pattern as in English:

Our conversation is intimate.

You could also say:

C’est une conversation intime. (That’s an intimate conversation.)

Here intime comes after the noun because it is directly modifying conversation in a noun phrase (une conversation intime).

Could I say Notre conversation est privée instead? What’s the difference with intime?

Yes, you can say Notre conversation est privée.

Nuance:

privée: emphasizes that others are not allowed or not supposed to hear it; it’s about exclusion of others.
intime: emphasizes that the content is personal or emotionally deep; it’s about closeness and personal nature.

So:

Notre conversation est privée. → People shouldn’t hear us; this is not for the public.
Notre conversation est intime. → We’re talking about personal, deep, or sensitive topics.

Is intime masculine or feminine here? It looks the same; is there agreement?

Yes, there is agreement, even though the spelling doesn’t change.

Masculine singular: intime
Feminine singular: intime
Masculine plural: intimes
Feminine plural: intimes

Conversation is feminine singular, so intime is feminine singular too, but it just happens to have the same form as the masculine singular.

If the noun were plural:

Nos conversations sont intimes. (Our conversations are intimate.)

Why is it est and not es or sont?

Because the subject is Notre conversation, which is third person singular.

Conjugation of être (to be) in the present:

je suis
tu es
il/elle/on est
nous sommes
vous êtes
ils/elles sont

Conversation = elle (she/it) → elle est intime
So: Notre conversation est intime.

You would use sont only if the subject were plural:

Nos conversations sont intimes.

Why not say C’est intime? Is that wrong?

C’est intime is not wrong, but it’s less specific.

Notre conversation est intime. → Clearly states what is intimate: our conversation.
C’est intime. → “This/That is intimate.” It could refer to:
- this topic,
- this question,
- this situation,
- this conversation, etc.

In a dialogue, C’est intime might be used as:

a reaction: Ne me demande pas ça, c’est intime. (Don’t ask me that, it’s personal.) But if you want to clearly label the conversation as intimate, Notre conversation est intime is more precise.

Is there any liaison or special pronunciation between notre and conversation?

There is no liaison between notre and conversation.

Pronunciation:

notre → approximately [notʁ] (the final e is very weak or almost silent)
conversation → [kɔ̃vɛʁsasjɔ̃]

So together:

Notre conversation → [notʁ kɔ̃vɛʁsasjɔ̃]

Note:

No link like tʁ‿k; you just move from the ʁ sound of notre directly to the k sound of conversation.
intime is pronounced roughly [ɛ̃tim] (with a nasal vowel in in).

Could I say On a une conversation intime instead? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say On a une conversation intime, and it’s natural in spoken French.

Comparing:

Notre conversation est intime.
- More formal or neutral.
- Focus on the state/quality of the conversation.
On a une conversation intime.
- Very common in spoken French.
- Literally: “We are having an intimate conversation.”
- Focus on the action of having that conversation.

Also note: in everyday French, on often replaces nous:

On a une conversation intime ≈ Nous avons une conversation intime.

Can intime describe people as well, or only conversations?

Intime can definitely describe people and relationships as well as things like conversations, places, or details.

Examples:

un ami intime = a close friend
une relation intime = a close/intimate relationship
ma vie intime = my private/personal life
un journal intime = a diary (literally: an “intimate journal”)

So Notre conversation est intime fits that pattern: the conversation is in the intimate/personal sphere.

Is Notre conversation est intime formal, informal, or neutral in tone?

The sentence itself is grammatically neutral; it’s neither slangy nor overly formal.

Tone depends more on context:

In a serious discussion: it can sound slightly formal or thoughtful.
Between close friends or partners: it sounds natural and neutral, just describing the nature of the conversation.

It’s perfectly acceptable in both spoken and written French.